Montgomerians have to be encouraged by what they heard in the first days of “interposition,” the state Department of Education’s expanded assistance to the school system. This is not a cosmetic move, but a serious intervention into a system with serious issues to resolve.

It is an opportunity that must not be squandered. We are particularly encouraged by the pointed message of state Superintendent Tommy Bice:

“I made it very clear today that I will have zero patience with people who don’t want to get on board with this turnaround team. And I will work with the board and the superintendent to make sure they either get on board or they leave.”

That’s a clear and well justified warning to MPS personnel, but also implicit in it is a message to the members of the Board of Education and to interim Superintendent Margaret Allen that they must be prepared to act decisively whenever and wherever circumstances warrant it.

Allen is a capable administrator with a commendable record in a long career in education. We are confident in her ability to work with Bice and the state department’s team.

We have far less confidence in the Board of Education, which has a poor record of oversight and showed a disturbing lack of awareness of serious problems within MPS, even after a series of reports in the Advertiser had brought them to light. There is a chance for redemption here, and we earnestly hope the board members seize it. That will require members to set aside any lingering animosity over the departure of former Superintendent Barbara Thompson and move ahead with helping foster the proper academic climate in MPS.

The prospects for restoring academic integrity where it has been breached and for raising performance across the system are genuinely exciting. MPS is getting “unprecedented resources” from the state department, Bice said, noting that a 30-member team will be working in the system.

This is not some vague, unfocused effort. Instructional audits are being conducted that will be used in developing 30-, 60- and 90-day turnaround plans. “Intensive” was the word Bice used for the turnaround plans and that is exactly the kind of effort that is needed.

There’s a lot to overcome. The academic integrity issues are obvious, but there’s more. Communication — a glaring deficiency in Thompson’s tenure — must be improved, not only between the board and superintendent, but also throughout the system. Stability in principals’ positions, another grave failing of Thompson’s tenure, must be established.

“We have got to get consistent leadership in these schools,” Bice, himself a former principal, said. “I can say with absolute confidence that the constant turnover of principals, regardless of the reasons, creates some level of chaos. It was constantly changing.”

This is an exciting moment for MPS, but also a sobering one. A huge task lies ahead, with colossal implications for our community’s future. The importance of getting it right this time cannot be overstated.